


Home Is Where the Heart Is - One Shots

by OneAndOnlyOllie



Series: Home Is Where the Heart Is [2]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Beheaded Cousins, Car Accidents, Family Fluff, Hospitals, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I get validation from the comments, Kat Has a Service dog, Like the famILY they are, Not Beta Read, Service Dogs, We Die Like Men, and why don’t I want to go back?, i never thought I’d write fanfiction for British monarchs who’ve been dead for 500 years-, one shots, queens supporting each other, what has my life come to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28761801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneAndOnlyOllie/pseuds/OneAndOnlyOllie
Summary: A series of one-shots connected to my other fic.Like before, trigger warnings will be put on the chapters themselves.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn & Anne of Cleves, Anne Boleyn & Catherine Parr, Anne Boleyn & Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I of England, Anne Boleyn & Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn & Katherine Howard, Anne of Cleves & Catherine Parr, Anne of Cleves & Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves & Katherine Howard, Catherine Parr & Jane Seymour, Catherine of Aragon & Anne of Cleves, Catherine of Aragon & Catherine Parr, Catherine of Aragon & Jane Seymour, Catherine of Aragon & Katherine Howard, Catherine of Aragon & Mary I of England, Edward VI of England & Jane Seymour, Katherine Howard & Catherine Parr, Katherine Howard & Jane Seymour
Series: Home Is Where the Heart Is [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108187
Comments: 71
Kudos: 59





	1. Mae's First Day

**Author's Note:**

> Catherine is 40  
> Anne is 31  
> Jane is 30  
> Anna is 27  
> Cathy is 27  
> Kat is 22  
> Mary is 19  
> Liz is 14  
> Eddie is 8  
> Mae is 5

"Cathy, she'll be fine," Anna rolled her eyes, "It's just a few hours. She has half-days."

"Mommy!" Mae raced into the kitchen, "Look, Mommy! Kitty made me pretty!"

Cathy scanned her daughter head-to-toe. Mae looked adorable in the dark blue dress she and Kat had bought two days before but refused to show Cathy until now.

"You look beautiful, baby girl!" Cathy smiled widely.

Mae crossed her arms, "I'm not a baby!"

"Right," Cathy agreed, swatting Anna's shoulder when the German snorted, "You look beautiful, big girl."

"Thank you!" Mae grinned.

"Where's Mary?" Kat yawned, entering the kitchen with Maya beside her.

"She and Eddie went for a run," Anna handed her a mug of hot chocolate, "They're trying to build up the habit before she goes back to college."

Kat sighed, "Strange children."

Elizabeth stumbled into the kitchen through the dining-room door.

"Morning, Lizzie," Cathy greeted the youngest Boleyn.

"Coffee," was the only answer returned.

"Did you pull an all-nighter?" laughed Kat.

Anna's face twisted into a look of confusion, "Doing what? It's not like you had homework."

"Catherine and her goddamn jigsaw puzzles," Elizabeth grumbled.

"Swear jar," Mae pointed to the water pitcher sitting on the counter marked with SWEAR JAR written in Sharpie on a piece of masking tape.

"Damnit," Elizabeth rubbed her forehead, only for Mae to point at the container once again.

"What about my godmother's puzzles?" Cathy asked as Elizabeth dropped two dollars into the jar.

The teenager put her wallet back in the basket over the counter as she explained, "'Let's do a puzzle, cariño', 'It'll be fun, cariño', 'You'll be in bed before midnight, cariño'," Elizabeth muttered, "Well let me tell you, Catalina, ce n'était pas amusant et je ne suis allé me coucher qu'après minuit!"

Anna leaned over to Cathy, "Was ist gerade passiert."

Cathy rubbed her forehead and Kat grinned.

"Liz, if you didn't have fun with Catherine, next time say no," Cathy addressed the teenager, then turned to Anna, "I thought you learned French with us?"

Anna shrugged, "I did. Anne and Liz just talk so fast."

"Je parle français!" Mae spoke up, "Und Deutsch!¡Y Español!"

Kat laughed at knelt to Mae's height, "Here's what you do, Mae-Mae," she said, just barely loud enough for Cathy and Anna to hear, "If someone gives you a hard time, you just start talking to them in Home, okay?"

Mae nodded eagerly and bounced her fist up and down, signing, "Yes!"

'Home' was what the family called the mix of English, Spanish, French, German, and Sign used amongst themselves.

"Don't listen to her, Mae," Elizabeth joined in, "Remember those words I taught you, okay?"

Cathy looked horrified, "Elizabeth!"

"What words, _sehr klein_?" Anna tipped her head curiously.

"'No'," Mae reported proudly, "'Leave me alone', 'Go away'."

Cathy looked at Elizabeth, who raised her coffee mug in a ' _you're welcome'_ gesture.

"And what if they don't listen, Mae?" prompted the teenager.

Mae crossed her arms, "Punch them in the face."

"Who's punching who in the face?" Jane stepped through the doorway and traded places with Anna so she could get to the kettle.

"Anyone who gives Mae a hard time," Kat answered simply, stroking Maya's head.

Jane nodded, "Oh, okay, as long as you try using words first."

"Jane!" Cathy threw up her hands.

"Oh, right, of course," Jane flushed, "Mae, don't punch."

"Everyone quiet," Anne stumbled into the kitchen, "Why is Catherine asleep on the dining room floor?"

"Jigsaw puzzles," Elizabeth frowned, "So many jigsaw puzzles."

Anne sighed, "Alright, here's what we're going to do: Anna, go wake up Catherine; Jane, you and I can do breakfast and lunches; Kat, text Mary and tell her to get back as soon as she can so that Eddie can shower and get ready for school; Cathy, finish getting Mae ready for her big day, and Liz, uh, you go collect your sanity or... whatever and get ready for school."

Elizabeth tipped an imaginary top hat, "Your wish is my command."

"Where was that attitude last night when I asked you to do the dishes?" Anne sighed as her daughter left the room.

An hour later, Cathy walked Mae and Edward to their classes after dropping Elizabeth off.

"Have fun, Eddie," Cathy waved after the boy as he raced to catch up with his best friend, Jane Grey.

"Bye Cathy!" Edward shouted over his shoulder.

Mae was next and the teacher met the mother-daughter pair at the door.

"Hi!" He shook hands with Cathy, "I'm Jack Calder."

"Cathy Parr and this is Mae. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Calder."

"You, too, but please, call me Jack," He turns to the five-year-old, "Hi, Mae. My name is Jack, I'm your teacher. I can't wait to get to know you better."

Mae looked up at Cathy, who nodded, then back to her teacher. "Hello," she signed.

Jack looked surprised, but quickly adapted and signed back, "Hello! I'm your teacher. My name is Jack."

Mae's eyes widened and she tugged on Cathy's sleeve, "Did you see that, Mommy?" She pointed to Jack, "He knows Sign!"

Cathy smiled, "I saw, Mae-Mae. Isn't that cool?"

"Annie and Kitty are going to be happy!"

"I'm sure they are."

Jack addressed Cathy, "Should I practice my sign language more?"

"Perhaps," Cathy nodded, "It's one of the languages we use at home so she's used to it and it brings her comfort."

"One of the languages?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"We speak Home!" Mae grinned at her teacher.

"Home?" His eyes widened, "Really? Wow, Mae, you are talented! I wish I could speak Home."

Mae nodded thoughtfully, "I teach you."

Jack smiled, "You'll teach me? Thank you so much, Mae! Why don't you go inside and meet some of the other kids? I'll be right there soon, okay?"

"Okay!" Mae hugged Cathy's legs, "Bye Mommy!"

"Oh, uhm, bye, Mae-Mae," Cathy watched as her daughter raced into the building.

"You okay?" Jack laughed lightly.

Cathy nodded, "What? Yeah, I'm fine."

"I do have one question, though," He rubs the back of his neck.

"Yes?"

"What is 'Home'?"

"It's basically Spanglish," Cathy laughed, "But instead of just English and Spanish, we've added in German, French, and Sign."

Jack's jaw dropped slightly, "Mae is five and she knows that many languages?"

"Our family comes from a very culturally diverse background," Cathy explained, "She's been exposed to the languages her whole life."

"So you're close to your family?" Jack narrowed his eyes slightly, making Cathy tense, "Do they know your five-year-old daughter was forced to learn five languages when most children her age only know one?"

"I don't think I like what you are implying, Jack," Cathy crossed her arms.

"Do you speak five languages, Ms. Parr?"

"Yes. Our entire family is at least conversationally fluent in all five. That's why the language is called, 'Home'. We speak it _at home_."

"Cathy?" Anna joined the two, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Cathy nodded.

Anna looked skeptically at Jack, "Sie haben eine Weile gebraucht, um zum Auto zurückzukehren. Ich habe mir Sorgen gemacht. Stört er dich?"

Cathy shook her head, "Nein, mir geht es gut."

"Hi," Jack held out his hand, "I'm Jack Calder. I'm Mae's teacher."

"Anna von Cleves," Anna answered.

"What is that?" asked Jack, "Dutch?"

Anna narrowed her eyes, "German."

"Oh!" Mae's teacher pointed between the two, "You two are-"

Cathy flushed and Anna smiled.

”No, we’re not,” the former corrected, “Goodbye. Come on, Anna, let’s go.”

The German let Cathy pull her away, not before saying, “You do _anything_ to Mae-”

Her threat, however, was left unfinished because Cathy had clamped a hand over Anna’s mouth and was now awkwardly dragging her housemate off campus.

Kat was on pick-up that afternoon and - based on “story time”, which was actually Cathy and Anna ranting angrily about Mae’s teacher the second they got home - she was not looking forward to it.

Maya whined softly as the two waited with Mae’s classmates’ parents for the kids to be let out. She was well-aware of the looks being shot in her direction both because she was obviously young and because of Maya in her pink vest that was clearly marked _SERVICE DOG_.

Kat knelt down and hugged Maya close, especially when the classroom doors opened all over the school and the previously-quiet campus was filled with enthusiastic shrieks.

”Kitty!” Mae was last out of her class and flung herself into Kat’s arms, “You’re here!”

Kat laughed, “Yep! Your mommy is working so I’m here to pick you up.”

Mae grinned widely, completely ignoring Maya, “Yay! It’s a Kitty and Mae Day!”

Kat stood up and started to walk away when a man’s voice rang out.

”Excuse me!”

Kat tensed and turned around slowly, her grip on both Mae’s hand and Maya’s leash tightening.

”Y-Yes?” She stammered.

The man standing in front of her fit Anna and Cathy’s description of Mae’s teacher to a T.

“Who are you?”

It was Mae who spoke up.

“This is Kitty!” She said excitedly, “She’s the one who helped with my dress!”

Jack looked between the two, then noticed Maya, “What’s with the dog?”

Maya, who recognized the tone as possibly dangerous, moved in front of Kat, stretching to her full size, but her eyes never left her handler.

“My service dog,” answered Kat hesitantly, taking trivial comfort in Maya’s warmth against her legs.

“Don’t look!” Mae told her teacher, “Don’t look at Maya!”

Maya responded slightly to Mae’s voice calling her name, but quickly refocused in on Kat.

“Where are you taking Mae?” Jack asked Kat, crossing his arms.

“Cathy’s working and she asked me to pick her up.” Kat gave as little information as she could.

“I’m sorry, I can’t let Mae leave without an adult we are aware of on our roster,” Jack didn’t look sorry at all, “And since there is no ‘Kitty’, I can’t let you go.”

Kat nodded, “I understand that,” she swore she saw Edward across the playground chasing after Jane Grey, “My full name is Katherine Howard. Cathy said she put my name on the list.”

Ten minutes later, Kat was helping Mae buckle into her car seat.

“So?” She asked, “How was school?”

Mae shrugged, “Fine. I don’t want to go back tomorrow.”


	2. Kat vs. Karen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grocery shopping with Jane? Simple. Or, at least it should be...  
> 
> 
> *set before Cathy and Mae move in*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kat is 16
> 
> TW: panic attack, karens

“Kat, you know you don’t have to go, right?” Anne said for perhaps the tenth time that morning.

“I know, Annie,” Kat looked up from putting Maya’s vest across the German Shepherd’s body, “I want to go.”

Anne rubbed her forehead, “I know, KitKat, I just worry about you, what if-”

“No,” Kat stood up, “No ‘what if’s. They’ll lead us down a rabbit hole that I don’t want. Jane will be there the whole time, as will Maya. I’ll be taken care of.”

Anne sighed, “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m positive,” promised Kat.

“Fine,” Anne agreed, “But, Kit, if anything feels off in any way shape, or form, you call me, okay?”

Kat’s smile widened, “Yes! Thank you, Anne!”

That’s how, half an hour later, Kat and Jane were walking through the grocery store, slowly checking items off the list Catherine had given them.

“Maya, close,” Kat instructed when the three of them entered a crowded aisle, pausing in front of a collection of shelves that Jane immediately started analyzing and pulling items off of.

The German Shepherd obeyed the command and sat down between Kat’s feet as the two waited for Jane to finish.

As they were exiting the aisle, an excited cry was heard.

“Doggy!”

Kat tensed, gently pulling Maya’s leash closer to her. She hoped that just by ignoring the calls, whoever had noticed her and Maya would take the hint and back off, then another voice joined in.

“Excuse me!” It was a woman, “Do not ignore my son!”

A hand grabbed Maya’s leash.

Kat immediately froze, prompting Jane to stop as well.

“Ma’am,” Kat’s voice was quiet, “Please let go.”

“No!” The woman yelled, “You ignored my son! He wants to pet your dog.”

Jane stepped in, “No,” she said, “Your son can’t pet her dog.”

The woman looked outraged and Kat unclipped Maya’s leash from where it was connected to her vest as fast as she could.

Maya immediately refocused her attention on Kat and started pawing and the teenager’s ankle, a warning.

“What do you mean ‘ _no_ ’?” The woman shouted, “You brought the dog to a public place! We should be allowed to pet the dog!”

“She is a service dog,” Jane tried to explain, “You cannot pet her. It’s written on the patches.”

And Jane was right, too. There was a patch on Maya’s vest that clearly wrote _DO NOT PET_. This woman, however, didn’t seem to care.

“You are being very rude! My son wants to pet the dog and you aren’t letting him.”

Maya was getting distracted by the loud noises around her and couldn’t focus on Kat, who was trying to hold herself together.

“I’m sorry you think we’re being rude,” Jane somehow kept her calm, “But you cannot pet the dog.”

“Then we’ll take your dog!” The woman tugged harshly on the leash still in her grip, only to lose her balance and stumble when there wasn’t any weight on the other side.

Kat stumbled out of the center of the aisle and pulled herself against some form of wall or shelf. She could still hear the raised voice of the woman and Jane’s calm replies.

She couldn’t breathe. Her body wasn’t responding to any orders she tried to give it and she couldn’t focus on any of the grounding techniques Anne had taught her. Kat let out a soft gasp as she tried to inhale.

Then, there was pressure on her arm. It was soft, furry, and warm. Kat tried to push away, but Maya wouldn’t let her. The dog pressed closer against her handler and started lapping slowly at Kat’s neck.

Kat buried her face in the warmth, using the familiar smell to try and ground her. Maya hugged Kat’s head into her fur, putting pressure on both sides of the girl’s neck as the teenager wrapped her shaking arms around Maya’s body.

With the feeling of Maya’s fur against every inch of her face and the weight against her chest, Kat was able to coach herself the rest of the way out of her panic.

She could still hear Jane and the woman arguing, but there was another voice too.

“Ma’am, I can’t make them let you pet their dog. Besides, Ms. Seymour is right, you cannot pet a service dog - especially one on duty,” the new voice sounded tired.

“She’s petting the dog!”

Kat didn’t need to look up to know that she had a finger pointed at her.

“It’s her dog,” Jane sounded done with the woman and her son.

“She’s probably faking it!” The woman said, “The only people who have service dogs are disabled people. She doesn’t look like she has a disability.”

“She is not faking it!” Kat smiled slightly into Maya’s fur when Jane immediately jumped to her defense, “And you don’t look like a mental health professional! Who are you to say if she has a disability.”

“My son has asthma and you don’t see him bringing his cockatoo everywhere.”

“Ma’am,” the new voice cut in again, “If you don’t calm down, I’m going to ask you to leave.”

"Me?"

Kat buried her head further into Maya as voices raised.

"This woman is harassing me!"

Kat whimpered and curled further in on herself, but it had caught the attention of Jane.

"Kat?" Jane spoke softly, kneeling beside the teenager, "Kat, darling, you're okay. Can you breathe for me?"

Kat raised her fist and bent it up and down.

"Yes?" Jane recognized the sign, but her heartrate picked up. She had learned a little Sign Language from Anne, but she didn't know a lot. "Okay," Jane continued, "What can I do to help?" She managed to recognize the word being fingerspelled. "Anne? Do you want me to call Anne?"

Kat cringed back once again when the voice of the woman and the store employee raised again, but the sound of a FaceTime call caught her attention, then came Anne's voice.

"Kit?"

Kat glanced up and saw her cousin's face watching her through Jane's phone.

"Oh my God, Kit are you okay?"

"No, but I will be," Kat signed, taking comfort in Anne's voice.

"Okay," Anne spoke softly, "That's okay, KitKat, that's okay. Just breathe with me, okay?"

Anne gently coached Kat out of her panic attack and waited for Jane to hang up.

"C-can we, can we go home?" Kat stammers, hugging Maya tightly.

Jane nods, "Of course, love. Let's pay for the food, then we can go."

Kat, however, is blocked by Maya when Jane tries to pull the teenager to her feet.

"What does this mean?" asked Jane, taking a step back and letting Maya re-settle herself against Kat.

The teenager smiled slightly, "It means she doesn't think that I'm okay to stand up. She's keeping me safe."

The moment was interrupted by the woman yelling at the two.

"You don't deserve that dog!" she was being pushed back by two employees, "I can sue!"

Jane shook her head, "For what?" she whispered, making Kat wheeze a quiet laugh.

"Okay, ma'am," one of the employees sounded bored.

"I will sue!"

"Sure," The other said, "Come on."

"I want to speak to your manager!"

The second employee spoke again, "You're looking at her."

"Then I want to speak to your supervisor!" 

"What can I do for you?" The first employee said.

Jane and Kat laughed lightly at the baffled look on the woman's face.

"Maya's not going to let me up anytime soon," Kat waved a hand at the German Shepherd on her lap, "You might as well go get in line and check out, I'll meet you there."

Jane shook her head, "I'm not going to leave you alone, Kat. We wait until you're ready."

"Kat!"

Anne skidded to a halt in front of the two of them.

"Annie?"

Anne got down to the floor beside her cousin, "Can I hug you?"

Kat nodded quickly and was quickly pulled into a bear hug. Anne leaned against the wall and held her younger cousin against her chest.

"Are you okay?" Anne whispered, "What happened?"

"Just give me a minute," answered Kat quietly, burying her face in Anne's chest, arms holding her cousin and Maya.

"Take all the time you need, Kit," the older of the two stroked Kat's head, "I've got nowhere to go."

Jane pulled out her phone and typed something out before showing it to Anne.

_A woman was harassing Kat and Maya. Some employees took care of it._

Anne's face twisted with anger, but she nodded appreciatively at the other woman. Jane took her phone back and typed something in again.

_I'm going to go pay for the groceries. Are you two okay here?_

Anne nodded and said, "We're okay. We'll meet you outside," quietly.

That particular store was taken off of the family's list of grocery stores and they never went back, to no one's complaint. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, these kinds of things do happen. If you ever see a service dog in public, it's polite to ignore them. 
> 
> Please leave feedback and/or prompts!


	3. Fire!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the kid's schools catch fire, their parents will do anything to make sure they're safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catherine is 41  
> Anne is 31  
> Jane is 30  
> Anna is 27  
> Cathy is 28  
> Kat is 22  
> Mary is 19  
> Liz is 14  
> Eddie is 9  
> Mae is 6
> 
> TW: Fire and Jack the Teacher is referenced again
> 
> Enjoy!

"Wait, let me grab this," Jane handed the spoon in her hand to Cathy, instructing, "Stir," before answering her phone. "Hello, this is Jane?"

_"Hello, is this Jane Seymour, mother of Edward?"_

"Yes, who is this?"

 _"My name is George Hunter,"_ The voice says, _"I'm a secretary at your son's school."_

Jane tensed, "Is everything okay?"

_"There was a fire and the school had to be evacuated."_

"Oh my God! Is everyone okay?"

Cathy looked up.

_"We're still counting children and making sure everyone is here. It's my job to call parents to let them know what happened."_

"Is Edward- Is he okay?"

_"I don't have any information, but I will call if we get any in formation."_

Jane nodded, "Right, right of course... Thank you."

The line went dead.

"Jane, is everything, okay?" Cathy was still by the stove, "You sound worried."

"There, there was a fire," Jane stammered, "At Eddie and Mae's school."

"Oh my God!" Cathy dropped her the spoon, "Is everyone okay? Mae and Eddie-"

"I-I don't know," Jane rubbed her forehead, "He wouldn't tell me anything."

"But your son-"

"And your daughter," Jane cut her off, "You still need a phone call."

As if on cue, Cathy's phone buzzed.

Jane heard the same voice that told her about the fire, but Cathy asked a question Jane had missed.

"When can I come pick her up?... Oh, okay. Thank you."

"What did he say?" Jane asked when Cathy's phone joined hers on the counter, "When can we come pick them up?"

"He didn't," sighed Cathy, "He said he's call me back when they have a time."

"Fire!" Anne raced into the kitchen, "There-"

"The kids' school caught fire?" Jane steadied the other woman, "Did Liz's catch, too?"

Anne nodded, "I just got the call, did you two-?"

"We did," Cathy released a shakey breath, "What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to go get my daughter," Anne grabbed her keys and wallet from the basket, "You two coming?"

"We were told not to come quite yet," Jane explained, but was cut off my Anne's scoff.

"Are you really going to let that stop you?"

Jane and Cathy shared a look, then shook their heads, "No."

The three women piled into the SUV and Anne drove them all to Liz's campus.

"Wait here, I'll grab her. Keep your phones on incase you get call," Anne jumped out of the car, "Oh, and can one of you text the others and let them know what's happened?"

When Jane and Cathy nodded, Anne tossed back the keys then ran toward the school.

One of the teachers was waiting at the school's entrance. There was the definite smell of burning in the air and Anne could see small white specks of ash on the ground. The school itself, didn't look burned from what Anne could see, but she assumed it was worse in a different part of the building.

"Who are you and who are you here to pick up?" The teacher asked.

"Anne Boleyn," She told him, "I'm Elizabeth Boleyn's mother."

The teacher looked through the computer on the desk, then straightened up, "Uhm, can you come with me, please?"

Anne's blood ran cold, but she managed to nod and followed the man to the field in the back of the school where a collection of fire trucks and ambulances were parked around tents that had been set up on the grass. She was brought to the back of an ambulance and her heart stopped.

"Oh, hey, Mama," Elizabeth smiled tiredly when she saw Anne.

Anne quickly thanked the teacher, then rushed to sit beside her daughter on the floor of the vehicle.

"Lizzie, _chérie_ , what happened? Are you okay?"

Before Liz could answer, a paramedic walked around the side of the car, "Alright, Elizabeth, this might sting-" She stopped when she noticed Anne, "You weren't here before."

"I'm Elizabeth's mother," Anne introduced herself.

"Yeah, okay," The paramedic nodded, "I've already told Elizabeth this, but the burn on her arm is 2nd degree. She doesn't need to come to the hospital, but I recommend contacting her physician with any questions about treatment or anything. Can I see your arm again?"

Elizabeth unburied her arm from inside the blanket draped around her shoulders and Anne noticed the damp cloth draped around it.

"This could sting," The paramedic warned.

Anne squeezed Elizabeth's other hand and got her daughter to focus on her while the other woman smeared an ointment over the angry, red skin on Elizabeth's forearm that almost matched her hair.

"It hurts..." Elizabeth whispered, just barely loud enough for her mother to hear.

"I know, sweetheart," Anne wrapped her arms around Elizabeth's shoulders, watching as the paramedic bandaged the teenager's arm, "I know it hurts, just hold on a little longer."

And she did.

The paramedic let the two go once she'd finished going through some paperwork with Anne, then all that was left was sign Elizabeth out with the teachers.

"I'm glad you're okay, Elizabeth," The woman running sign-outs smiled at the two Boleyns, "Just next time, run away from the fire, not back into it, okay?"

Elizabeth shrugged, "Maria needed help, I was closest."

"Done," Anne passed the clipboard back to the teacher before the conversation could continue, "Can we go? To Elizabeth, she added, "We have to go get Mae and Eddie. Cathy and Jane are waiting in the car."

"Yep, you're free to go," The teacher nodded, checking over the paper Anne signed, "Take care."

Jane and Cathy had both received calls from Mae and Edward's school when the two Boleyns returned to the car. Anne took the driver's seat and Elizabeth got into the back with Jane. Edward and Mae's school was only a block or two away, so Anne was parking the car again barely three minutes later with Jane and Cathy jumping out as soon as they stopped moving.

"Jane Seymour and Cathy Parr," Jane told the first teacher they saw, "We're looking for our kids, Edward and Mae."

The teacher nodded, "So you're their parents?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cathy was too scared to be offended.

"Those kids love each other, come with me," the teacher brought them to the field, similar to where Anne had picked up Elizabeth, but Jane and Cathy were brought to the far end of the grass where the younger kids were all huddled together.

Edward was sitting on the grass looking out of place amongst the five and six-year-olds, but perfectly content holding Mae in his lap. Both kids had oxygen masks over their nose and mouths and were signing to each other slowly.

"Edward!" Jane called at the same moment Cathy yelled, "Mae!"

The two kids looked up at the sound of their names. Cathy had her arms around Mae within seconds, checking her for any injuries, and Jane was frantically kissing Edward's forehead.

"Mom," Edward's voice was hoarse, "Mom, we're fine, we're both fine."

Jane nearly coughed at the smell of smoke that clung to Edward's clothes and hair, but ignored it, "We were so worried, Eddie, are you sure you're okay?"

"Momma," Mae pointed to Edward, "Eddie saved me."

Edward blushed around his oxygen mask and tugged nervously at the green elastic band around his head as he spoke, "I just did what any big brother would."

"What, what happened?" Jane asked the two, "Mae, what do you mean he saved you?"

"When the fire alarm went off," explained Edward slowly, "I ran away from my classmates and saw that Mae wasn't with her teacher. Someone was saying that Mae was still inside so I ran into the classroom."

"Why had they left you, Mae-Mae?" Cathy counted to ten in her head to stop herself from going and punching Mae's teacher in the face.

"I got scared and I froze. Jack said he would come back for me," Mae answered softly, her voice muffled by the layer of plastic between her and her mom, "Then Eddie came."

"She saw me and immediately ran over," Edward shrugged, leaning against Jane.

Cathy nodded slowly, "Mae, were you scared until you saw Eddie?"

Mae nodded, "Eddie made me feel safer."

Over her daughter's head, Cathy signed, "Thank you," at Edward who smiled tightly and nodded, leaning further into Jane.

"Can we go home, Mom?" he whimpered, "Please? I don't want to be here anymore."

Jane glanced at Cathy, who was now cradling Mae against her chest.

"Sure, love," She said to Edward, "Let's talk to you teachers and then we'll go home."

Catherine and Mary had pulled together an early first dinner with very little help from Kat and Anna by the time Anne parked the SUV in the driveway, leading the six of them to the door. Elizabeth, Edward, and Mae were immediately sent to shower and their smokey clothes went directly into the washer. Jane settled herself on the couch beside Anna while Cathy went to go draft an email she would be sending to Mae's teacher with more than a few choice words about leaving her daughter in a burning room. Anne flopped down onto the floor, arms over her face as she tried to process the last two hours.

"All three are okay?" Anna broke the silence.

"Yeah," answered Jane quietly, "They're all okay."

"Good," Kat spoke next, "Then we have something to be grateful for."

"Anne?" Mary sat down on the floor beside the woman, "Are you okay?"

Anne nodded, taking the nineteen-year-old's hand in her own, "I'm just so glad you and Kat weren't there, too."

"They're strong, Annie," Kat scratched Maya behind the dog's ears, "They'll be okay."

"I know," Anne uncovered her face.

Jane smiled sympathetically at the fellow mother, "It's just scary," she agreed, "Espeically since the schools weren't being any help and telling us anything."

"Do you think we can tag in on Cathy's email?" Anne sat up.

"I'm sure we can," Jane nodded.

"Awesome," Anne pushed herself to her feet, "Let's go write an email."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedback and/or requests or prompts for other chapters that you want to see!


	4. The Heart Doesn't Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth comes out as aro/ace; how will her family react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catherine is 41  
> Anne is 31  
> Jane is 30  
> Anna is 27  
> Cathy is 28  
> Kat is 22  
> Mary is 19  
> Liz is 14  
> Eddie is 9  
> Mae is 6

Elizabeth had a secret. A big one and one that she wanted to share with her family.

How to tell them, however, she wasn’t sure. Elizabeth was fluent in five languages and she didn’t know how to say “I’m asexual and aromantic.”

She was sure that her family would accept her, but what if they didn’t.

What if Catherine, Jane, Mary, and Edward believed it when Father Maxwell said that being LGBTQ+ was against God’s will?

Elizabeth had had the perfect moment a couple of weeks ago when Jane asked if any boys at school had caught her eye. All it took was a small, “No, I'm aromantic and asexual." But nothing about this was 'small'. Those four words would make or break her family.

"Liz?"

Elizabeth got up from laying on the floor and opened her door. Cathy stood in the hallway, fist raised to knock again.

"Yes?"

Cathy blinked, "Are you okay?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be? Do I not look okay? Why would you ask?" Elizabeth mentally kicked herself.

"You sure?"

The youngest Boleyn sighed and let Cathy into her room, "I have something that I want to tell you guys, especially my mom, but I don't know how."

Cathy closed the bedroom door and sat down on the bed, "Did you kill anyone?"

"What? No! Why is that the first thing you ask?" Elizabeth slumped into the chair at her desk, "I didn't kill anyone."

"Do you owe anyone money? Have you gotten involved in a gang or with drugs?"

"Cathy!" the teenager dropped her head into her hands, "No!"

"Okay then," Cathy smiled, "Lizzie, we all love you so much. Nothing could ever change that. Do you want to tell me now? Then I can help you figure out a way to tell the others together?"

Elizabeth stumbled over her words, "Yes, well, I, uh, I'm-" Her heart sped up and, "I, ugh... I'm sorry," She rubbed her forehead.

Cathy got off the bed and knelt in front of the youngest Boleyn, "Just breathe, Lizzie, okay? Take a deep breath, In... out..."

"I-I'm, I'm okay," wheezed Elizabeth, "I'm okay." She took another deep breath, "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" Cathy rubbed the girl's hand gently, "You don't need to tell me if you don't want to."

Elizabeth shook her head, "I want to."

"Okay, take your time."

"I-I'm, I'm ace/aro."

Cathy blinked, "I'm not sure I know what that is, Lizzie, can you tell me?"

"Asexual, aromantic," Elizabeth clarified hesitantly, "I don't experience sexual or romantic attraction."

"Okay," Cathy took the youngest Boleyn's hands and held them, "Lizzie, that's perfectly okay. Everyone is different. I'm glad you feel safe enough to share that with me."

"Y-You're, you're not, you're not mad?"

"Of course not, sweetheart, I'm not mad. I'm so incredibly happy for you and so proud."

Elizabeth deflated, leaning against Cathy's shoulder and letting the woman wrap her in an embrace, "What will the others say?" she asked softly, "Cathy, will they hate me?"

"No, Lizzie," Cathy rubbed Elizabeth's back in slow circles, "Shh, no, they won't hate you. They'll hold you just like I'm holding you now and they'll tell you how much they love you."

"Really?"

"Really, Liz. Your mama loves you more than anything."

"But what if she doesn't?"

Cathy sighed, "Then I will help you both. You have me, Lizzie, and you always will."

For the rest of the day, Cathy and Elizabeth were both busy preparing for that evening but in very different ways. Elizabeth was scouring the internet watching coming out story after coming out story to try and find out what worked best and what didn't work. The general consensus was that being forward and clear was the best way to go, leaving no room for confusion. There were a few bad experiences people shared, which jump-started Elizabeth's anxiety once again.

Then, Jane called everyone down for dinner.

Elizabeth paused in front of her bedroom mirror and took a deep breath.

"You can do this," She said to herself, "It's simple, really. Just four words." Elizabeth rubbed her eyes, "And now you're lying to yourself. Great."

Downstairs, Cathy gave the teenager a supporting smile as the family sat down.

"Are you okay, Lizzie?" Kat asked across the table, passing the lasagne to Anna, who was sitting beside her.

Elizabeth glanced at Cathy, then nodded, "Yes, I just need to tell you something."

"Was ist es, Lizzie?" Anna sat forward.

Elizabeth's chest tightened and she refused to meet anyone's gaze, taking a keen interest in the table cloth.

"Liz?" Anne's motherly tone cut through her daughter's thoughts, "Chére? It's okay, just breathe."

Four deep breaths later, Elizabeth's stomach was still in a tight knot as she collected her words.

"I'm asexual and aromantic."

Silence.

Elizabeth looked up hesitantly to see unreadable expressions on her family's faces. She glanced helplessly at Cathy who motioned for her to wait. Then, Kat shrugged.

"Cool," she said, "Thanks for telling us."

Anna was next, holding her fist out across the table that Elizabeth hesitantly met, "If anyone gives you a hard time, you tell me, Red, and I'll beat them up for you."

Mae piped up next, "What is that?"

"Yeah!" Edward agreed, "What does that mean?"

"It means I won't fall in love with anyone," Elizabeth explained hesitantly.

Mae's eyes widened, "Do you still love us?"

"Of course!" Elizabeth was not expecting someone other than her being the one asking that. "Mae-Mae, of course, I still love you!"

"Good!" The six-year-old seemed satisfied, "I love you, too."

"Anne? Jane? Catherine?" Cathy prompted the three who had yet to say anything.

Jane met Elizabeth's gaze, "I love you, Liz," She said, "Every part of you."

"You are God's child," Catherine nodded slowly, "God made you in His image and He doesn't make any mistakes."

"Mama?"

Anne was the last person to talk, "Come with me."

Elizabeth's heart stopped, but she hesitantly got to her feet and followed her mom into the kitchen. Immediately, she was engulfed in familiar arms.

"Elizabeth Boleyn," Anne whispered in her daughter's ear, "I love you so much. You are my daughter, _ma fille_. As long as you're safe and happy, I don't care what your life looks like."

"I was so scared, Mama," Elizabeth curled further into her mother's embrace, "I was so scared you wouldn't love me still."

Anne's arms tightened, "I will always love you, Lizzie nothing will ever change that."

"Even if I kill someone? Or join the mafia?"

"I might be scared or disappointed if you join the mafia or kill someone, but I will still love you."

When the two rejoined their family in the dining room, Cathy pushed a button on a small remote, then confetti and balloons dropped from a net above the table that Elizabeth hadn't noticed. Another button was pushed and,

_"I'm coming out  
I want the world to know  
Got to let it show  
I'm coming out  
I want the world to know  
I got to let it show"_

filled the house.

"What's this?" Elizabeth looked around, her gaze lingering on Edward and Mae playing volleyball with a dark green balloon.

Cathy grinned, "Happy Coming Out Day," She waved her arms around the room and Elizabeth realized what the colored balloons meant. Cathy had chosen gray, black, white, purple, and two shades of green. They represented _her._ Black, gray, white, and purple were the colors of the asexual flag, while black, gray, white, and the two greens were the aromantic pride colors. And the confetti, Elizabeth realized, was rainbow.

"Oh my God..."

If she hadn't been before, Elizabeth was definitely crying now. She'd worked herself up and talked herself into believing that her family wouldn't accept her, yet here they all were: Jane and Anna were dancing to the music; Catherine was watching from the side of the room with a bright smile; Kat was looking at something on her phone while Mary, who had busted out the facepaint, was drawing rainbows on the other girl's skin; Edward and Mae were still playing with the balloons. Anne and Cathy stood on either side of Elizabeth, watching the scene with her.

"We are so proud of you, Elizabeth," Anne took her daughter's hand, "Now, have fun. Today will always be your day. I'll put it on the calendar so we can celebrate the day you came out to us every year."

"Why was I so nervous?" Elizabeth asked Cathy once her mother had disappeared back into the kitchen to mark the date on the communal calendar.

"I'm not sure," Cathy replied, "But I think it worked out well. Plus, now you have a Queer-iversary."

Elizabeth pondered the term for a few moments as Cathy joined Mae and Edward in their game. Queer-iversary.

It was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the next chapter, do you want angst or do you want fluff? Either is fine :)


	5. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I briefly mentioned earlier that Anne liked photography? Well, here's Anne teaching Eddie how to tell a story with pictures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anne is 32  
> Eddie is 10

Some people were writers, painters, readers, or athletes. Anne was a photographer. She loved freezing moments in time with her camera and having them to look back on. She never did planned photos, though; the kind where everyone poses and says "Cheese!" into the camera. Anne preferred a more authentic approach, which often made her pictures more loved by her family. She had pictures of Cathy teaching Mary to bake, both covered head to toe in flour; of Elizabeth at her first pride parade with a flag cape around her shoulders, tears in her eyes, and the biggest, brightest smile Anne had ever seen across her face. She'd given a picture of Mae walking for the first time to Cathy (who had it framed on her bedside table) and given Kat a picture of her and Maya curled up together on the couch.

Anne's photos were also around the house: on the stairwell, on the fireplace mantle, hanging in hallways. Each had a freeze-frame of their family's adventures. One had the kids tearing into their gifts on Christmas morning, another had Cathy and Mae after they'd won their case against Cathy's ex-husband. Anne's favorite, however, was one she'd taken of her family during a movie night. She'd claimed she needed to use the bathroom and told them to continue watching without her, but instead, she went and grabbed her camera. The photo showed Catherine, Mary, Elizabeth, and Kat snuggled up together under a blanket with Maya at their feet, and Jane, Cathy, and Edward were on the loveseat, leaving Anna on the floor with Mae asleep in her lap.

"What're you doing?"

Anne looked up to see Edward watching her.

"Framing this," She showed him her latest photograph, "Wanna see?"

Edward shrugged and moved beside her. He looked at the image of the family's trip to the aquarium the week before. Edward was on Mary's back and the two of them were looking at a display on sharks with Cathy and Mae. He remembered the exhibit clearly, but he didn't remember having their picture taken.

"Did you take this?" he asked.

Anne nodded, "My therapist told me I needed a hobby for pleasure and stress-relief a couple of years back and I haven't stopped since."

"You're really good," Edward noted, "Did you take the other pictures in the house?"

"I did," confirmed Anne, taking the photograph back and setting it into the frame Anna had bought for her the day before, "Your mom and Catherine saw a picture I took of Kat and Mary when we first moved in and started making me hang my stuff up."

Edward nodded his understanding and helped Anne push down the stiff metal tabs on the back of the frame, "I wish I could do this, too. I like your pictures."

"Do you want me to teach you?" Anne offered, flipping the frame over so they could see how it looked with the photograph.

"Would you?" Edward's eyes widened.

"Of course!"

Half an hour later, Edward and Anne were walking around a national park with Anne's camera.

"Photography is about capturing the soul of something," Anne stopped walking and pointed up.

Edward followed her finger and saw was she saw. The trees didn't have a canopy over where the two were standing and he could see the clear, blue sky perfectly.

"Woah," his eyes were wide, "Can you take a picture of that?"

Anne shook her head, "You do it."

"Really?" Edward hesitantly took the camera from her hands.

"Yep," Anne directed him gently.

"But, this doesn't show what I want, though," Edward took the camera down from his face, "I want to get the trees, too."

"You are just like me," laughed Anne, "Okay, Eddie, let's try this. Lay down on the ground."

"What?"

Anne nodded, "Yep, down on the ground." She settled herself on the trail and pulled Edward down with her. "Then, readjust to your new position and take the photo when you're ready."

"Anne?" Edward hesitated with the camera. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"Alright, bud, sit up." When he did, Anne shifted over to where Edward had been laying, "Come on, lay down on top of me. We'll do this together."

Edward lay down with his back on Anne's chest and held the camera up so they could both see the small screen.

"That looks great, Eddie," Anne encouraged, "Do you know what to do next?"

"Take the picture?"

"See? You got it."

Edward clicked the button on the camera and the shutter closed.

"How do you feel?" Anne asked when the two of them had sat up and were looking at the picture Edward had taken.

The ten-year-old grinned widely, "Charged! Let's go take more!" 

They spent the rest of the day in the park and only left when Jane blew up their phones with _"WHERE ARE YOU"_ and _"REMEMBER CURFEW"_ and _"EDDIE HAS SCHOOL TOMORROW. YOU MIGHT HAVE AN UNHEALTHY SLEEP SCHEDULE BUT MY SON WONT"_. That last one went only to Anne.

Over the next couple of weeks, Anne and Edward went out every weekend to a new place to take pictures and, before too long, his photographs started showing up on the walls. He was also the first person to get a picture of Anne. So, a picture of her, Kat, Elizabeth, and Maya curled up on the couch watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine was added to the wall, and it was only the first of many.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet (:


	6. Janey & Edward Sitting in a Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward has been in love with his best friend since he was a kid. Now, he finally builds up the courage to ask her to prom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To avoid confusion, Jane Seymour will be called 'Jane' and Jane Grey will be 'Janey'.
> 
> Edward and Janey are both 17.
> 
> Also, I know Maya would probably be really old if this were real-life (14 years after the first book takes place) but we're just going to ignore that because I'm calling it - Maya is immortal.
> 
> This chapter was requested by PikaPals15

For as long as he could remember, Edward Seymour had been in love with his best friend. The two had met as kids and stayed close as they grew up. They protected each other and had pretended to be dating on multiple occasions to rescue the other from people who wouldn't take no. Janey was a regular in the Aragon-Seymour-Boleyn-Cleves-Howard-Parr household and was quite accustomed to the chaos that was Edward's family. For his entire life, Edward had been waiting for something to pull his best friend away, whether it be her parents, social pressure, or just growing up and growing apart, but Janey stuck by his side and Edward quickly realized that he was deeply in love with her.

When school dances had come into play, Edward had been _thrilled_. He could ask Janey to go to a dance with him, but their peers' age group made it more awkward that he wanted to deal with. So, he waited. He never forced himself onto her or pushed boundaries. He respected her wishes when she off-handedly made a comment about not wanting a relationship until she was older while the two of them were watching a movie. Edward was through waiting now. Prom was coming up and he wanted to ask his best friend to be his date. Not a fake date, though, or a mercy date. A _real_ date with matching color schemes and he would pick her up and give her a corsage. The only question, however, was how to ask her. 

To Edward, nothing seemed right. He spent hours scouring the internet as he tried to search for some sort of inspiration. He saw stories of promposals with signs or made announcements over the PA system. Others had balloons or spoofed the couple's favorite movie. Another had _PROM?_ spelled outside a house in lights.

"Eddie? I'm coming in!"

Kat flung open the door and marched into Edward's bedroom, Maya at her heels.

"Kat!" Edward quickly closed his laptop, "What are you doing?"

"Mae says you want to ask Janey to prom and I'm here to help."

Edward rolled his eyes, "Of course she did... Kat, I don't need your help. I'm fine."

"Sure," Kat flopped onto Edward's bed, "What's your plan?"

"I-" He stopped, realizing once again that he didn't have any plan.

Kat smirked, "Exactly. You need me."

"I don't need your help, Kat," Edward threw up his hands, "I'm _fine._ I'll probably make her a sign or something."

"No, Ed. No signs. Tons of people do signs. You can't."

"What's wrong with signs?" Edward laughed.

"Nothing," shrugged Kat, "They're really good _if_ you do them right. Besides, don't you think Janey deserves something better?"

"Of course I do, Kat," Edward rolled his eyes, "I've liked her since I was six, of course, she deserves something better than a sign."

"Perfect! So, what're you thinking? Confetti in her locker, baking cookies? Writing on an old film reel and watching it together?"

"Janey would strangle me if she learned I wrote on an old film reel. Besides, I want it to be something calm. That way, if she says no I won't be too embarrassed."

Kat snorted, "It's going to be embarrassing if she says no no matter how many people are around."

Edward's head snapped up, "You think she'll say no?"

"No."

"No you think she'll say yes or 'No, I agree'?"

"What the hell does 'No, I agree' mean and in what context could it ever make sense?"

"I don't know!"

"You're a mess."

"I know..."

So, Edward's promposal plan for Janey became a household matter. Instead of game night, which was their original plan, the family put their heads together and came up with the best ideas they could, yet nothing still felt right. He went to bed that night still unsure about what he was going to do. Cathy had told him that he would know what to do when the right moment came, but he wasn't sure how much of that was her trying to encourage herself out of writer's block by giving out enough false hope to others to try and trick her own brain into believing it too.

The next day, Edward tried to act as normal as he could around Janey, but she easily picked up on his nerves and ended up shoving him into the empty gym during lunch.

"Alright, Ed, what's going on?" She demanded, then adding, "And don't say nothing!" when Edward opened his mouth.

"Go to Prom with me?" He blurted in one breath.

Janey blinked and took a step back, "What?"

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound like it did. Let me try again, uhm, will you, Jane Grey, go with me to Prom?"

"A-as friends, or...?"

Edward blushed and shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I mean... either...?"

"It's about time," Jane laughed.

"What?"

"I've been waiting for you to ask me out for, like, six years."

Edward gaped as he tried to find his words, "Wha- I- _what?"_

"You're not exactly good at keeping a secret, especially from me. Come on, Eddie, did you not think I would notice the _ASK JANEY OUT - YES OR NO_ chart in your notebook?"

"I- uhm- well..." Edward rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks got warm, "Is that a yes or a no?"

"Idiot," Janey rolled her eyes, "Of course it's a yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

Edward grinned, "Awesome, great, uhm. I- what color- uhm."

"This isn't going to be weird, right?" teased Janey, "Because I can still say no."

"No, no, no, of, of course not! It's not going to be awkward! Why would it be awkward? It's just us. You and me. Janey and Edward. Edward and Janey. Two best friends... going to prom."

"Eddie," Janey cut him off, "This is what I'm talking about - awkward."

Edward nodded, "Right, yeah, okay, uhm. How about I go, yeah? Uhm, I'll text you, okay? We'll- er- I'll, no, _we_ will coordinate colors and pick up time. Is the SUV okay?"

"Eddie-"

He shook his head, "No, yeah, you're right. You don't pick up your prom date in your family's SUV. I'll get a limo."

"Eddie!"

"No limo?"

"The SUV is fine."

"Right, okay, SUV. Or should I get the CRV? Maybe the minivan? Wait- no, not the minivan. That's even worse than the SUV. I'll borrow Mary's car, yeah, that's what I'll do."

"The SUV is fine, Eddie," Janey rolled her eyes.

"You're right, Kat's car is better."

"Eddie!"

Edward snapped out of his trance, "Right, sorry, uhm, I'll figure it out. Thank you for saying yes! I'm going to go now, uhm, see you later?"

"Alright, Eddie, see you later."

Edward ran out of the gym, giddy with excitement. Then, memories of the conversation came back.

"Did I seriously tell her _thank you_?" He asked himself, "Jeez, Eddie, pull yourself together."

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent _SHE SAID YES_ to the household group chat, conveniently named 'The Family', making them sound like the mafia.

Almost instantly, responses came in.

_**Kat & Maya:** Yes!!!_

**_Liz:_ ** _really?_

**_Mary:_ ** _be nice Liz_

_**Mary:** but seriously - really?_

**_Catherine:_ ** _Girls! Stop teasing him. Edward, I'm so happy for you._

**_Kat & Maya:_ ** _What did u do eddie?_

**_Mom:_ ** _How about we wait for him to come home and then he tells us over dinner?_

**_Mae:_ ** _NO_

**_Mae:_ ** _I NEED DETAILS_

**_Mae:_ ** _TELLLLL MEEEEEE_

**_Cathy:_ ** _Calm down Mae._

**_Anna:_ ** _Work is boring_

**_Anna:_ ** _Tell us everything Eddie_

_**Anna:** I need entertainment_

**_Edward:_ ** _Ill tell u at dinner_

He closed his phone and felt it continue to vibrate in his pocket, no doubt his family freaking out that they had to wait.

He was celebrating.


	7. Hold On a Little Longer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A phone call is all it took...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catherine is 39  
> Anne is 30  
> Jane is 28  
> Anna is 26  
> Cathy is 25  
> Kat is 19  
> Mary is 16  
> Liz is 12  
> Eddie is 6  
> Mae is 3

The light shifted from red to green. Anne slowly moved the car forward as Mary continued to explain to her the most recent in celebrity drama.

In the middle of the intersection, the impact came. Another car had run their red light and slammed into Anne’s, sending her and Mary swirling into traffic. Anne’s arm was across Mary’s chest within seconds, holding the teenager back against her seat. Two other cars joined in the pile-up, one hitting Anne’s car and the other had swirved and ended up against the truck that had started it all.

“Are you okay?” Anne asked frantically, checking Mary up and down for injuries.

“I-I’m, I’m fine,” The teenager answered quickly, blood running down her face from where her head had hit the window, “Wh-what, what hap-happened?”

“Crash,” Explained Anne, “I’m, I’m calling 911.”

“Annie?” Mary grabbed hold of Anne’s arm, “Annie, I’m scared.”

Anne squeezed Mary’s hand gently, “I’ve got you, love. We’re going to be fine.”

  
  


“Catherine!” Elizabeth shouted from the couch, “Your phone’s ringing!”

Catherine dropped down the last stair and rolled her eyes, “Thank you, Elizabeth. Oh- it’s Mary. Probably to explain why they’re not home by now.” She accepted the call, “Hola, _querida_.”

The voice on the other end of the call, however, was not Mary’s. “Uhm, hi, I don’t speak Spanish.”

“Who are you and why do you have my daughter’s phone,” Catherine barked in English.

There was a quiet, “Oh, thank God,” then the voice rang louder, “Uhm, my name is Jason Kipp. I’m an intern at Redfield General Hospital and I’m calling on behalf of a Mary Aragon, do you know her?”

“Yes, she’s my daughter. Has something happened?”

“I’m sorry to tell you, but your daughter was in a car accident.”

Catherine’s hand jumped to her mouth to stifle the cry of shock as it came.

“There was a four-car pile-up on the I-90 and your daughter’s vehicle was hit.”

“Is she okay?” Catherine demanded, “Please tell me she’s okay!”

“Ma’am, your daughter is being taken care of.”

“And, the other woman in the car - Anne Boleyn. Is she okay, too?”

Elizabeth looked up, eyes wide, at the mention of her mother.

“I am less sure about Ms. Boleyn’s condition. The car they were in was hit from the driver’s side so she sustained most of the impact. I am not at liberty, however, to discuss her case with you.”

“What about with her daughter?”

“Uhm, sure!”

Catherine beckoned Elizabeth over, who took the phone and put it on speaker with a hesitant,

“Hello…?”

“Are you the daughter of Anne Boleyn?”

Elizabeth glanced at Catherine, who nodded, before saying “Yes?”

The intern gave Elizabeth the same information he’d given Catherine but added a few details about Anne's condition.

"T-Thank you for calling us, Doctor," Elizabeth managed to stammer out once Dr. Kipp had finished talking, "We'll be there as soon as we can. Bye."

As soon as the 'End Call' button was pushed, Elizabeth collapsed into Catherine's arms, burying her face into the woman's chest.

"It'll be okay, _cariño_ ," Catherine wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, "They're both strong. They'll hold on."

"But what if-"

"No," Catherine cut the girl off, "Listen to me, Lizzie. We can't go down the path of 'what if's, okay? Your mother is one of the strongest women I know, she's going to be fine, right? Just breathe, yes? It'll all be alright."

Kat was downstairs two minutes later, tears in her eyes and a phone in her hand. Catherine shifted Elizabeth to one side of her body and extended her arm to Kat, who slammed against her within seconds. The pairs' sobbing eventually coaxed the rest of the household into the living room. 

"What's wrong?" Anna asked, looking between Elizabeth, Catherine, Kat, and Maya pawing at her handler's ankle.

Jane set Edward on the couch, then gently peeled Kat off Catherine, letting the nineteen-year-old cling to her so Catherine could focus on Elizabeth.

"Anne and Mary were in an accident," Catherine explained slowly, breathing deeply, "A four-car pile-up on the I-90."

"Oh my God..." Cathy hugged Mae tighter in her arms as Anna asked, "Are they okay?"

"As far as we know, they're okay," Kat's muffled voice came from Jane's chest, "They didn't have very much information to give, however."

"Anna," Cathy took charge of the group, "You drive Catherine, Kat, and Lizzie to the hospital, Jane and I will follow once we have someone to watch Eddie and Mae for a few hours."

"Yes," Anna agreed, "Come on, guys, let's go. Coats and shoes."

At the hospital, Anna led the group up to the nurses' station.

"Can I help you?" the man at the desk asked.

"I'm Catherine Aragon," Catherine told him, "I'm looking for my daughter, Mary. She was brought in after a car accident."

"Anne Boleyn, too," Kat added, "I'm her cousin."

"They were brought in together, right?" The nurse looked up, "The girl's about yay high," He holds up his hand, "Looks exactly like you?"

Catherine nodded, "Yes!"

He turns to Kat, "And yours is taller? Black hair? Green jacket?"

"Is she okay?" Elizabeth slammed her hands on the counter, "Is my mom okay?"

The nurse's face softens, "Their injuries are extensive, but as far as I know they're okay. Your mother," he looks directly at Elizabeth and Kat, "Was taken up to surgery almost as soon as she arrived. A rib punctured her lung and she's got a few broken bones, but the medical staff here are some of the best. She's in good hands. As for Mary," He types something into his computer, "She's a little better off - a concussion, a head lac, and a broken arm. The rest is all bumps and bruises. She's having her arm set right now, I'll come get you when you can see her, okay?"

Kat hugged Elizabeth closer and nodded, "Sure, yes, thank you..."

"We appreciate that sir," Catherine glanced at her younger companions, "Come on, guys. Let's go sit down."

Once they were all seated in chairs with Maya in Kat's lap, Anna dashed off to find the cafeteria in hopes of finding water and coffee. Elizabeth put in her earbuds and hugged her legs close to her chest, head resting on her knees. Kat had her eyes closed and was stroking Maya's head in a steady pattern and looked like she was counting to ten over and over. Catherine pulled the rosary she'd grabbed while leaving the house from her pocket and held it in her hands, praying softly to herself.

That was where they stayed for the next hour, then a doctor came and took Catherine to see Mary, leaving Anna (who had returned at the five-minute mark) and Jane and Cathy (who had arrived twenty minutes later) in the waiting room. Some people tried to talk to the family and extend support between groups, but only Jane would reply to any questions asked so the attempts faded quickly.

Meanwhile, Catherine was brought to a recovery room on the Pediatric floor of the hospital. Mary was asleep in the bed in the center of the room. There were wires coming from her chest, connecting to a monitor that beeped steadily with her heart. An oxygen catheter ran under her nose and there was an IV in the back of her hand that wasn't bandaged and propped on a pillow.

Catherine mumbled a soft, "Thank you," to the nurse who had brought her, then stumbled to her daughter's bedside, clutching Mary's not-injured hand.

"Oh, mija," she whispered, examining the bruises covering the girl's arms and chest and the butterfly bandage holding together a stitched laceration on her head. " _Oh, María, estoy aquí. Mamá está aquí. Estás bien, mi chica fuerte, valiente. Te tengo. Estás a salvo ahora. No iré a ninguna parte._ " Catherine thought she saw Mary's eyelids flutter slightly, so she added, " _Descansa, María."_

The rosary came back out of Catherine's pocket and she held it between her hand and Mary's.

For Elizabeth and Kat, however, it was another two hours before they were brought to Anne's room. Jane, Cathy, and Anna stayed behind when the nurse told them to go in small groups. Anne didn't look good, but she looked better than both Kat and Elizabeth had been picturing. The blood had been washed from her arms and face, leaving only the bruises and scrapes. There was a cast on her leg that stuck out like a sore thumb under the blankets and, like Mary, had an IV in her hand, wires on her chest, and an oxygen catheter.

"Mama!" Elizabeth ran forward, but stopped when she remembered what the nurse said about a punctured lung, "Kitty?"

Kat stepped forward wrapped an arm around Elizabeth's shoulders, "She's okay, Lizzie. See," she motioned to the heart monitor that is beeping at a steady beat. "Every beep promises that she's still alive and that she's not going anywhere."

There was a soft groan that caught both of their attentions.

" _Maman_?"

"Annie?"

"Shh..." Anne's eyes fluttered and her head lolled to the side so she was facing Kat and Elizabeth, "Hey, loves..."

"You're awake!" Elizabeth sat down on the bed beside her mother and Kat moved in beside her after instructing Maya to settle on the floor. 

Anne smiled lightly, "I'm not that easy to kill," Her hand clumsily found Elizabeth's, "I'll always fight for you."

"Are you okay?" asked Kat, "What happened?"

"I'm okay, Kit," Anne promised, "It was a car crash, that's it. A driver ran a red and hit our car. Speaking of, how's Mary? Is she okay?"

"According to Catherine, 'she's awake and fine' - all capitalized," Elizabeth read the text Catherine had sent the group chat half an hour ago.

"That's good," Anne seemed to relax, "I'm glad she's okay." Her face twisted in concern and a pale hand raised to Elizabeth's face, " _Pourquoi pleures-tu, mon trésor?"_

Elizabeth leaned into the touch, "I'm just so glad you're okay."

Anne gently tugged Elizabeth down beside her. The ordeal was a little awkward when the two took into account all the cords and Anne's broken ribs, but they managed and Elizabeth curled into her mother's side.

"Come here, Kit." Kat sat down on the other side of Anne's bed, letting her cousin lace their fingers together. Anne squeezed Kat's hand comfortingly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Two days later, Anne and Mary were discharged and expected to make a full recovery. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the best ending, but hopefully the rest of the chapter made up for it! (:


	8. Not Just the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Mary's boyfriend, Philip, to meet the family...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catherine is 49  
> Anne is 33  
> Jane is 31  
> Anna is 29  
> Cathy is 28  
> Kat is 22  
> Mary is 19  
> Liz is 15  
> Eddie is 11  
> Mae is 6
> 
> This chapter was requested by BookwormBirdie44

"This is going to be a disaster, isn't it?" Mary parked the car outside the park she and Philip, her boyfriend, were meeting her family at.

"It's not going to be a disaster," Philip encouraged, "Your family is going to love me."

Mary kissed his nose, "Your innocence is adorable. Let's go!"

Philip followed her out of the car and into the park. Mary paused at the gate.

"What-?"

"Shh," she cut him off. They were silent for a few moments, then they heard,

_"MAE STOP!"_

_"EDDIE!"_

_"ANNA! KAT! LET CATHY WORK!"_

_"SHUT UP!"_

Philip paled slightly when Mary sighed.

"Yep, that's my family."

There was a chorus of "MARY!"s when the two found Catherine, Jane, and the others sitting on a collection of mismatched picnic blankets in the grass with a bag with food and games beside them.

"Guys," Mary pulled Philip down on the blanket beside her mother, "This is my boyfriend, Philip. Philip, this is my family. That's my mom, Catherine - be nice," She added when Catherine glared at Philip. "That's Jane."

"Hello, darling," Jane shook Philip's hand, "It's so nice to meet you."

"You, too."

"Anne," Mary pointed to the woman who was messing with a card deck, "Wait a minute - are you stacking that?"

"Shhh!" Anne flushed under the stern looks from Jane and Catherine.

"That's it," Catherine rolled her eyes, "We're not playing cards today."

"Fine," She sighed but didn't stop playing with the deck. Anne met Philip's gaze, "Also, if you hurt her, I'll kill your dog."

"Anne!" Mary put her hand on Philip's wrist, "I'm sorry about her. Let's meet someone else while _mamá_ deals with that." She looked around for the rest of the family, "Where are the others?"

"They went to the play structure," Jane told the two, "Cathy's there too. She'll be really happy to see you."

"Thanks. Come on, Philip," Mary pulled her boyfriend to his feet and the two walked in the direction Jane had pointed them to. When they were out of earshot, Mary asked, "What do you think?"

"Of your family?" Philip shrugged, "They seem normal. I want... Anne - was it? - to teach me how to stack a deck. That sounds like a useful skill."

"No," laughed Mary, "Anne only learned how to do that because she needed to. She's banned herself from teaching anyone, not even Liz knows."

"Liz?"

"Her daughter."

"Oh, thank God!" Cathy jumped up from the grass and hugged Mary tightly, "You don't call, you don't text, and then you show up as if nothing is wrong?"

"Relax, Cath," Mary rolled her eyes at Philip, "We're just a few minutes late."

"You know how much can happen in a few minutes," Cathy pulled back, "If the injury is big enough, someone can bleed out in 30 seconds. Oh, you brought a boy. Hi, I'm Cathy."

Philip glanced nervously at Mary, then back at Cathy, "Uhm, hello, Philip. I mean," he points to himself, "Me Philip. I mean, er, I'm Philip."

Cathy looked between the couple, "It was the blood comment, wasn't it?"

"Yeah..." Mary nodded.

"Yeah, okay," Cathy stepped aside, "Go see the kids."

"Where are Anna and Kat?"

Cathy blinked, "As I said, go see the kids."

Philip smiled hesitantly when Mary and Cathy burst out laughing. Sure enough, Mary and Philip found five people running around the structure.

"Hey!" shouted Mary, "How dare you have fun without me?"

What Philip was expecting, wasn't what happened. He was expecting Mary's name to be shouted and that to be it, but whatever game the five were playing was dropped immediately and Mary was attacked by two kids obviously under their thirteen, a girl with red hair who looked around fifteen, and two adults.

"Mary!" the smallest jumped up and, to Philip's surprise, Mary caught her.

"Why, hello, Mae-Mae!"

"Who's that?" The six-year-old pointed over Mary's shoulder to Philip.

Kat tensed when she saw the unfamiliar man and Maya immediately put herself between the two.

"This is Philip," Mary introduced her boyfriend to her little sister, "Philip, this is Mae."

"It's nice to meet you, Mae," Philip glanced between the sisters, "Uhm, Mary's told me a lot about you."

"Be nice to my sister," Edward poked his head around Mary, "Or I'll come and get you."

Philip laughed, "What are you, like ten?"

"I'm eleven, thank you very much," Edward crossed his arms, "And let me tell you that some kids my age are already kings and queens!"

Anna stepped forward and picked Edward up, "Alright, Eddie, let's give him a break. Hey, it's nice to meet you. I'm Anna."

"Yeah, uh, nice to meet you, too." He looked at Kat, "Hi! I'm Philip."

Kat took a step back, "Kat," she said flatly.

There was an awkward silence, then Elizabeth stepped in, "Uhm, hi, I'm Elizabeth."

Philip reintroduced himself, but they were saved from another extended period of silence by Cathy shouting, "Kids! Lunch! Let's go! Anne stacked a deck of cards and we've got trivia!"

" _Maman_ stacked a deck?" Elizabeth asked, "Awesome!"

_"Das letzte ist ein faules Ei!"_ Anna shouted, dropping Edward to the ground and taking off with the siblings and Kat in tow. Mary followed slower with Philip after letting Mae sprint off. 

"Now what do you think about my family?" asked Mary, holding Philip's arm.

"Uhm," he answered, tearing his hands through his hair, "They're interesting. Though, I now understand how you're so good with the kids down the hall."

"Because I have three younger siblings?"

"Yep."

"That's fair. Oh!" Mary stopped walking, "Just a heads-up, my family gets really into trivial pursuit, so good luck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support my fics have been getting! You're all amazing!
> 
> Please leave comments, requests, and/or prompts! I really like hearing from all of you!


	9. Not Just the Parents, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Philip plays Trivial Pursuit with The Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The teams are:  
> 1\. Catherine, Cathy, Mae  
> 2\. Anne, Anna, Kat, Liz  
> 3\. Jane, Eddie, Mary, Philip
> 
> All the questions read out during Trivial Pursuit are actual questions from the 40th Anniversary Ruby Edition of the game.

"Who's turn is it?" Edward asked, "Is it our turn?"

"No," Jane shook her head, "It's theirs," she motioned to where Cathy and Catherine were sitting with Mae in between them.

"The dice," Anna handed the piece to Catherine, who rolled a four.

Anne reached for the card deck, "Green, yellow, orange, or blue?"

"Blue," Cathy declared after a few seconds.

Kat took a card and cleared her throat, "'What nation, the second largest in the world, claims the second tallest mountain in North America'?"

"Second largest nation, second largest mountain?" Catherine glanced at her goddaughter.

"Well," Cathy leaned back on her hands, "Russia is the biggest, right? If it isn't, it's at least _one of_ the biggest."

"And North America," continued Catherine, "Canada's bigger than the USA, right?"

Cathy nodded, "I believe so."

"Do you know?" Mary whispered to Philip.

He nodded, "Yeah, I do."

"Are they close?"

Philip nodded again, "They've said it."

"Canada!" Mae shouted out.

"You think Canada?" Cathy rubbed her daughter's back.

"Yes!"

"What do you think, Catherine?"

The Spaniard shrugged, "Sure. Why not?"

"Canada?" Kat flipped the card over and looked at the answer, "Is that your decision?"

The three nodded, "It is."

"You are... correct," Kat read out the text on the back of the card, "'Canada. Mount Logan is edged out by Denali by just 771 feet'."

"Your guys' turn next," Kat handed the box to Catherine so she could read out a question for Jane, Edward, Philip, and Mary.

Their team, however, was forced onto a purple space - Arts and Literature.

Catherine read the question on the card in her hand, then laughed, "Anne, you would love this question."

Anne leaned over and read the card, then groaned, "No! I want that one! Catherine, pick again so we can have it!"

"Just read the question," Mary rolled her eyes.

"You sure?" Catherine grinned.

"Yes!" Edward puffed out his chest, "Read the question! We can do it!"

"'Which Broadway-'"

"Oh dear," Jane sighed, "I'm sorry, team. This isn't going to end well."

"It's not over yet," Mary protested, "Finish the question, please, Mamá."

So, Catherine continued, "'Which Broadway rap musical is set in a Dominican American neighborhood in New York City'?"

Immediately, Philip answered, "In The Heights."

Mary blinked at him, "How-?"

"Oh, uhm," he blushed, "I have an, uh, an _affinity_ for musical theater."

"That's more than an affinity," Anne grinned, "I think I've decided I like you."

"Because he knows musicals?" Cathy rolled her eyes.

Anne stuck her tongue out, "No, because he knows musicals well enough to know the answer to that question."

" _Maman_ really likes musicals," Elizabeth explained to Philip, "We've had to ban her from connecting to the car's stereo."

"Save a few shows," Jane added, "There are a few we'll tolerate."

Philip laughed lightly, "Like what?"

"Hadestown," Anne answered, "Catherine likes the jazz and the deep baritone of Patrick Page."

Mary spun to her mother, " _That's_ why you like Hadestown?"

"I like deep voices," Catherine shrugged, "Part of the reason I liked your father."

Mary groaned and leaned into Philip, "I never needed to know that."

"Just Hadestown or are there others?" Philip chuckled, wrapping his arm around Mary's shoulders.

"They also like Rent and Phantom, and they tolerate Dogfight," shrugged Anne, "So it's not like I'm stuck with Riverdale Heathers playing."

Philip shuddered, "We don't speak of that."

"Or Riverdale Chicago," Anne mused, "Or Riverdale Hedwig and the Angry Inch."

"Ah, it hurts, it hurts!" Philip held his hands over his ears, "Make it stop! Make it stop!"

Anne grinned, "You're a nerd. A flat out nerd. Oh, this is the best day of my life. Mary, you're dating a theater nerd!"

"Stop teasing him, Anne," Cathy rolled her eyes, "You're no better."

"Oh, I know."

"Let's continue, shall we?" Jane took the box of questions and drew a card, "'Name three of the four colors represented by the letters CMYK used in the printing process'."

"Anne," Anna turned immediately to her teammate, "You're the one who uses the printer the most often."

"That doesn't mean I know the colors!" Anne rubbed her forehead.

"But do you?" Kat leaned into her cousin's shoulder.

Anne sighed, "Liz, do you know?"

"I know yellow is one of them," Elizabeth shrugged, "But I don't know what C, M, or K stand for."

"Cyan, magenta, and key are the others," Anne said finally, "Key stands for black."

"That is correct," Edward read the back of the card, "And, just for kicks, 'What Bernstein musical, set in 1950s New York, was based on Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_?'"

" _West Side Story_ ," answered Philip and Anne together.

They played for the next hour or so, then the family and Philip piled into their cars after long goodbyes that included Catherine whispering, "Hurt her, you're dead" in Philip's ear.

"So?" Mary asked once the two were safely in their car, "What do you think of my family?"

Philip smiled, "I love them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone!   
> Sorry this took me so long to publish. I got some not-so-good news on Friday and wasn't in the space to write most of the weekend. More updates will be coming soon, but I would so appreciate it if you left prompts  
> (:


	10. Illness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward accidentally brings home the bug that has been going around his classroom. What will Catherine, Jane, Anna, and Cathy do when the rest of the house falls sick?
> 
> TW: Mentions of abuse
> 
> Requested by BookwormBirdie44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catherine is 40  
> Anne is 30  
> Jane is 28  
> Anna is 25  
> Cathy is 26  
> Kat is 20  
> Mary is 17  
> Liz is 12  
> Eddie is 7  
> Mae is 4

It all started with someone in Edward's class. The kid got sick so letters were sent home to parents. Kat, who was at college, was forwarded a copy of the email and she promised to stay away.

Edward developed symptoms first; just the odd sneeze here and there and deeper sleep. Then, came the fever. Anne was the only one awake when Edward woke up drenched in sweat and burning. Anne took his temperature, then sent him back to bed when the small display screen read 100.98.

Naturally, the oldest Boleyn became the next person to get sick. She followed two days after Edward, with Mary, Elizabeth, and Mae following soon after. Somehow, Cathy, Catherine, Jane, and Anna managed to avoid catching the bug, which now landed them as caretakers.

"How do we want to play this?" Anna asked when the three other women entered the kitchen.

"What is that?" Jane pointed to the poster board Anna had set up. On it was pictures of Anne, Edward, Mary, Elizabeth, and Mae, as well as information about how to deal with colds and fevers. She looked like a kid at a science fair.

"This is how we're going to survive," Anna swept her arms around the board, "We've got our sickies, the recommended treatment for whatever is going on with them - Thank you, WebMD - and a bunch of other random information I've found because I was up all night with Liz."

"Then who was with Anne?"

"Beep beep idiots!"

The four women spun to see a small drone flying shakily into the kitchen.

"Uhm?" Catherine glanced at Jane, "We don't have a drone, right?"

The drone spoke again, "It's me! It's Kat! I'm in my car in the driveway. Anne left her window open last night and I borrowed this from the tech department at school."

"What do you mean you're in your car? Cathy asked.

The drone made what almost could've passed as a shrugging motion, "I'm sitting in my car, in the driveway, and I've been there for about ten hours now."

"Katherine Howard, either go back to school or get inside right now," Jane sighed.

"Then can you open the door? I want to come in."

Catherine shook her head, "No, mija, you're going back to school. We don't want you getting sick too."

" _Pero-_ "

"No," Catherine stood strong in her decision, "Go back to school, and bring the drone with you. This thing is a little creepy."

The small robot dropped a few inches and flew slowly out of the window Jane opened looking strangely dejected for an inanimate object.

"You hurt the drone's feelings," Anna crossed her arms, "Come on, Catherine, you're better than that."

"It's a drone!" Catherine threw up her hands, "Besides, I'm trying to keep Kat safe while her guardian is sick."

Any response was cut off by a thud from the floor above them.

"I've got it," Jane took the stairs two at a time to the origin of the noise, only to find Anne sitting in her doorway, looking on the verge of tears. "Anne?" she sat down across from the Boleyn, a hand on the woman's knee, "What's wrong, love?"

"I feel fine, Jane," Anne rubbed her eyes, "But then I stood up and it was like someone was clamping my head."

"Does it still feel like that?"

"Yes..." Her hands moved to draw circles on her temples.

"Okay, love, it's okay," Jane got to her feet, "Let me get you some water and an ibuprofen."

"Don't go..." Anne caught Jane's wrist, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

"I shouldn't be sick," Anne shook her head at herself, "I shouldn't. I should be working. I should-"

Jane wrapped her arms around Anne's shoulders and pulled the Boleyn woman's head down against her chest as Anne started crying, "It's okay. It's okay."

"But my dad-"

Jane's heart sank, "Your father isn't here, Anne. It's just us. You're safe."

Anne just sobbed harder, clutching at fistfuls of Jane's shirt, "He's going to be so mad. He doesn't like it when I'm sick. I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay, Anne. Sweetheart, _tu vas bien, c’est normal de ne pas se sentir bien. Tu es en sécurité. Je t’ai._ "

The use of French worked exactly how Jane wanted it to. Anne leaned further into Jane, sinking into the embrace. Eventually, the Boleyn girl's tears became few and far between and were replaced by the occasional yawn.

"Tired, love?" Jane rubbed Anne's back, helping the woman to her feet when she nodded. "Let's get you to bed, then."

Out of the corner of her eye, Jane saw Catherine come upstairs and make a beeline for Mary's bedroom and the two shared a nod when they caught each other's gazes.

Jane helped Anne back into bed and tucked the sheets tight around her chest.

"Mmm," Anne snuggled into the duvet, " _Merci._ "

" _Dors bien_ ," Jane brushed loose strands of hair out of Anne's face, then turned on her heel and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Meanwhile, Catherine had slipped into Mary's bedroom to find her daughter sitting up with a book open on her lap.

"Hola," Catherine sat down on the side of Mary's bed, "How are you feeling?"

Mary shrugged and looked up from her book, " _Mas o menos mejor_ ," She answered.

"That's better than worse," Catherine smiled sympathetically, "Anything I can get you?"

The teenager shook her head, "No, I'm just really warm." Mary shook herself and started to take off her hoodie, but Catherine caught her hands.

"Nope," She gently brushed Mary's forehead and nodded to herself, "You have a fever. The jacket stays on."

"But-"

"Mary," Catherine shook her head, "Keep the jacket on."

Mary glared at Catherine, but sighed and leaned back against her pillows, "¿Mamá?"

"¿Sí?"

"Can you stay?"

Catherine nodded, "Of course, _mi corazón_."

She lay down beside Mary, who snuggled up against her mother with her ear over Catherine's heart.

Catherine kissed Mary's head and whispered, " _Dormir ahora, María."_

Upstairs, Cathy was checking in on Mae, only to find her crying and holding her pillow over her head. 

"Mae?" Cathy gently pulled the pillow from the four-year-old's grasp, "Mae? What's wrong?"

"Momma," Mae crawled into her mother's lap, "Mommy, _et tut weh_!"

Cathy pushed herself back so she could lean against the wall and pulled Mae against her chest, "I know it hurts, sweetheart. I'm so sorry." With Mae still sobbing in her lap, Cathy managed to shimmy her phone out of her pocket and managed to send a text to Jane, who showed up five minutes later with cherry flavor children's' Motrin.

"Thank you," Cathy whispered to Jane as she helped Mae drink the proper amount of medicine.

Jane nodded, "Of course. I was in the medicine cabinet getting ibuprofen for Anne anyway." Lowering her voice, she added, "How's she doing?"

Cathy gently ran her fingers over Mae's head and pulled the four-year-old's baby hairs back from where they were sticking to her forehead, "Okay. I think I'm going to stay with her. How's Eddie?"

"Feeling a lot better. His fever broke last night and he's almost back to his normal self."

"Makes sense," Cathy sighed, "I'm glad he's doing better."

"Me-" Jane stopped and smiled, "Is she already asleep?"

Cathy looked down at the small bundle of limbs and hair in her lap, laughing softly when she heard Mae's quiet, congested snores.

"I guess she is. Can you hand me that blanket?"

Jane handed the blanket in question over and Cathy wrapped Mae up like a burrito before tucking her into bed.

"It's a Mae-rito!" Cathy stepped back, crossing her arms and looking mighty proud of herself.

Jane smiled, "Alright, Cathy. I'm going to go check in on Edward. Are you going to stay?"

Cathy nodded and settled herself back down on the bed beside her daughter, "Yeah. I'll be down soon."

Jane squeezed the younger mother's hand gently, then slipped out of the bedroom. Downstairs, Anna met her in the hallway.

"Is Eddie okay?" The German asked.

Jane nodded, "He's feeling a lot better today than yesterday. I'm grabbing him some tea. Where are you going?"

"Liz," Anna motioned to the redhead's closed door, "She texted me."

"Don't keep her up too late, okay?"

Anna glanced at her watch, "Jane, it's eleven o'clock in the morning."

"And she's sick," Jane countered, smiling, "She needs sleep."

"Yeah, okay, Jane, I'll just check in and see what she needs. I won't distract her from her beauty sleep."

"Anna."

"It'll be fine, Jane, don't worry."

Reluctantly, Jane went downstairs and Anna entered Elizabeth's room.

"Is my mom okay?" The teenager asked as soon as the door shut again.

"What?"

"I was awake," Elizabeth clarified, "I heard her crying. Is she okay?"

Anna nodded and settled herself in the desk chair across from Elizabeth's bed, "She's fine, Liz. Just a little out of it because of a fever."

"I heard her talking about my grandfather."

Sucking in a breath, Anna nodded, "I see."

"I knew he kicked her out because she got pregnant, but... Anna, if I ask you something, will you promise to tell me the truth?"

"It depends on the question," replied Anna, "There are some questions that only your mom can answer."

"Was my mom abused?"

Out of all the questions Anna was expecting, that wasn't anywhere on her list.

"I think that's a question you ought to ask Anne yourself, okay?"

"She was, wasn't she?"

"Another time, Liz."

"Anna...?"

The German sighed, "Your mom's story is for her to share with you. I will tell you this, however, she did the right thing keeping you and Kat away from that part of your family. The only one who I've met who was even minorly decent was your uncle, George. You aren't missing very much."

"Thanks, Anna," Elizabeth nodded slowly, then settled under her blankets again.

" _Jederzeit_ , Lizzie," Anna nodded as she moved back out the door, "Sleep well."

"It's going to be a long few days, isn't it?" Catherine asked when Anna joined her in the hall.

"Yep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love hearing from you all!


	11. Momma's Not here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Mae has a nightmare when Cathy and Catherine are both out of town?
> 
> This chapter was requested by WickedDisney55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catherine is 39  
> Anne is 30  
> Jane is 28  
> Anna is 26  
> Cathy is 25  
> Kat is 19  
> Mary is 16  
> Liz is 12  
> Eddie is 6  
> Mae is 4
> 
> **Takes place three months after Anne and Mary's car crash - one month after Mae's birthday**

"Don't go," Mae clung to Cathy's leg.

"Mae," Cathy shifted her bag so it was further on her back, then leaned down to try and untangle the four-year-old, "Come on, love, please let go. I'm going to be late."

"Take me with you!"

"What's going on down here?" Anne dropped down the stairs, still in her pajamas, " _Vous êtes si bruyant._ "

"Sorry," Cathy apologized quietly, "Can you give me a hand? Mae doesn't want me to leave."

"Where are you going?" asked Anne, walking over to the two Parrs.

"Seriously? I have my book tour. It's literally on the calendar."

Anne rubbed her forehead, "That's today? Jeez- Time goes by fast." She knelt down beside Mae as best she could with her injured leg, "Why don't you want your mom to leave?"

Mae buried her face into Cathy's legs, "What if she doesn't come back?"

The two women shared a look, then Cathy knelt down and cupped Mae's face.

"Listen to me, Mae-Mae," she said slowly, "I will _always_ come back, okay?"

"But what if you get in an accident? Like Annie and Mary?"

Anne sucked in a tight breath, and Cathy's face softened.

"Oh, Mae," she pulled her daughter into her arms, "That was scary wasn't it?"

The four-year-old nodded into her mother's shoulder.

"But, Mae," Cathy combed her fingers through Mae's brown hair, "Anne and Mary are both okay, right? Mary was playing with you the other day, remember? The doctors said her brace can come off as soon as Friday. And Anne will be chasing you around before you know it. They're both okay."

Mae curled further into herself, "But what if you aren't."

"Can I tell you a secret, Mae?" Cathy whispered, "I'm going with Catherine. She won't let me get hurt. And, I bet Anne would let you use her phone to call me whenever you want."

"Really?" Mae poked her head out from Cathy's arms and glanced at Anne, who was sitting awkwardly on the ground to accommodate her leg.

The Boleyn woman nodded, "Anytime you want, Mae."

"Even in the middle of the night?"

"Yes."

"No!" Cathy cut Anne off, "You better not be awake at midnight, missy," she rubbed Mae's stomach, "But, yes. Even midnight."

 _"¿Y prometes que volverás a casa?"_ Mae whispered into her mom's chest.

 _"Yo meñique-prometo,"_ Cathy extends her pinky out for Mae to loop her own around. "Good, now, Catherine's waiting for me. Can Anne take you back to bed?"

"Yes," Mae crawled out of her mother's arms and over to Anne, who stood up and held Mae up on her hip.

"I'll be back soon," Cathy opened the front door, "Be smart."

"We will," Anne smiled, "Text when you arrive."

Cathy nodded, "I will. Bye, Mae-Mae. I love you."

"Love you too!"

Over the next two days, everyone did their best to keep Mae entertained and busy during the days so she had no trouble falling asleep. Mae herself missed her mom, but she enjoyed the time spent with the rest of her family. Nights were the hardest because Mae couldn't hear the soft music Cathy played every night to help her sleep.

On the third night, Mae's fear for her mother makes its way into her dreams. Mae couldn't tell what was bothering her exactly about that night in particular, but something did. Tossing and turning, Mae got maybe an hour of sleep before she shot up in bed, sobbing and kicking off her blankets. She could only think of one person who she wanted, so she went for it. Mae grabbed the stuffed deer on her pillow and raced out of her bedroom, slipping next door into her mom's room. The four-year-old climbed up onto Cathy's bed and curled into the cold sheets.

The door creaked open and Mae raised her head slightly.

"Mommy?"

The soft footsteps neared the bed and the figure knelt down, " _Keine liebe,_ it's Anna."

"I want my mommy," Mae curled tighter around the deer stuffed animal in her arms.

Anna brushed a hand over Mae's head, "You miss her?"

Mae nodded.

"Yeah, I miss her, too." Anna fished her phone from her pocket and opened it, "She called me today, did you know that?"

"No..." Mae shook her head.

"I missed the call, though," the German shrugged, "I was in the shower, but she left a voicemail. Do you want to listen to it with me?"

" _Si, por favor._ "

Ana climbed up onto the bed beside Mae and pressed play on the voicemail.

 _"Hey, Anna! It's me,"_ Phone-Cathy said, _"I wanted to call and check in on how things are going back home. Catherine and I should be back soon. Things are going really well here. I'm so glad you convinced me to accept the offer of a tour. How's Mae? Can you tell her I miss her and I love her so much? Make sure she knows that I'll be home before she knows it and that she can call me whenever? Thanks, uhm, I have to go right now so I'll talk to you later. Bye, Anna. Love you."_

Mae curled closer into Anna's arms and reached to push play again on the voicemail.

"How about we call her?" Anna moved the phone out of the four-year-old's reach, "Do you want to talk to your mom?"

"Yes!" Mae looked up at Anna, nodding eagerly.

The German clicked on Cathy's number and a soft dial tone filled the bedroom.

"Hello?" Cathy's groggy voice answered.

"Mommy!" Mae leaned toward the phone.

"Mae? Is everything okay?"

Anna rubbed Mae's shoulder, "We miss you, Cath. We had a little trouble sleeping, didn't we Mae-Mae?"

"Yes," Mae nodded, despite her mom not being able to see, "Mommy, I miss you."

"Oh, darling," said Cathy, "I miss you, too. I'll be home soon, I promise."

"Are you safe, Mommy?"

A soft laugh was heard from Cathy, "Yes, Mae, I'm safe. Catherine is taking very good care of me."

"You eated?"

"Ate, and yes, Mae."

"Sleeped?"

"Slept," Cathy corrected again, "And yes, Mae, I've been sleeping."

Mae looked satisfied, "Good. I can sleep now. Night, Momma."

"Good night, angel. Thanks for calling me, Anna."

"I have no idea what just happened, but no problem," Anna replied, "We'll see you soon, Cath. Night."

" _Buenas noches, mis amores,"_ Cathy ended the call. 

Anna set her phone on Cathy's nightstand and lay down with Mae, "Did that help, Mae-Mae?"

The four-year-old nodded, "Yes. Mommy is okay. She always asks me if I ate or sleeped, no, wait, _slept_ , and I say 'yes'. She says 'good'. I wanted to ask her."

"You're a very sweet girl," Anna pulled Mae close, "Now let's sleep."

Mae nodded, "Sleep!"


	12. Okay-

Alright, all my wonderful readers,

I think I'm going to pause here because I have a few other fics nagging at my mind. I have seen the requests that I have not yet written and they might come, but no promises.

Thank you for all the love and support you all have given me, I really appreciate it (:

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay awesome!


	13. You're Not Welcome Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas Boleyn shows up at Liz's school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catherine is 40  
> Anne is 30  
> Jane is 28  
> Anna is 25  
> Cathy is 26  
> Kat is 20  
> Mary is 17  
> Liz is 12  
> Eddie is 7  
> Mae is 4

"Fridays," Elizabeth slung the strap of her backpack over her shoulder, "Thank God-"

"Let's get out of here," Maggie closed her locker, "I want to go home."

Joan straighten her spine and flicked Maggie's ear, "You just don't like school."

"This is true," Maggie rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me," A man interrupted them, "Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth turned around, "Yes?-" She trailed off when she immediately recognized the man, "You! You're the lawyer from Cathy and Mae's trial!"

A flash of discomfort crossed his face, but it quickly was hidden behind a look of arrogance, "My name is Thomas Boleyn. I'm your grandpa."

Both Maggie and Joan immediately looked nervous, but Elizabeth reacted faster.

"Mary!" She yelled, taking off away from Boleyn to the wing where her sister's locker was located.

Boleyn chased after her, "No! Hey!-"

"Mary!"

"Stop yelling!"

"Mary!" Elizabeth skidded to a halt beside Mary's locker, where her older sister was talking with friends.

"Liz- What?- Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"The bad man from the courtroom!" Elizabeth pointed at Boleyn when he rounded the corner and stopped in front of them.

"No, no, Elizabeth, I'm your grandfather," he panted.

Mary immediately pulled her phone from her pocket, "Liz, _r_ _uf meine Mutter an."_

_"¿Por qué no el mío?"_ Liz asked as she dialed Catherine's number.

_"Créeme. Mi mamá sabrá qué hacer y cómo decírselo a tu mamá."_

"Elizabeth, it's okay, I'm your grandfather," Boleyn tried again, taking a few steps closer.

Without being asked, Mary's friends stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the sisters.

"Sir, I don't know who you are, but please leave them alone," One of them said.

"No, I'm her grandfather," Boleyn pointed to Elizabeth, "She knows me."

"It doesn't seem like that," Mary's friend, Bessie, crossed her arms.

"What's going on here?" A teacher had finally been informed of the commotion and had come to check it out, "Sir? Who are you?"

"My name is Thomas Boleyn," The smirk in Boleyn's voice caused the teacher's eyebrow to jump up, "I'm Elizabeth's grandfather. Her mother asked me to come pick her up."

"Elizabeth?" The teacher gently moved past Mary's friends and joined the sisters, "Do you know this man?"

Elizabeth passed the phone to Mary, who took over speaking rapidly to Catherine.

"He's my mama's father."

"So he's your grandpa?"

"No," Elizabeth shook her head, "He's my grandfather by blood, but he's not my grandfather." She glanced at Boleyn once, then leaned closer to the teacher, "Please don't make me leave with him."

The teacher's eyes widened, but he quickly schooled his features. He looked back at Boleyn, "Well, sir, it's very nice to meet you. Unfortunately, I need to talk to these two about an upcoming event, so they cannot leave right now."

Boleyn flushed with anger, "I can wait."

"Very good," The teacher nodded, "You can wait in the office. I'll send the girls down when I have finished with them."

"I'll come with you, if you don't mind," He crossed his arms as if he was challenging a response.

"I'm sorry, sir," The teacher didn't back down, "But this conversation needs to happen in private. Girls, come on."

Mary grabbed Elizabeth's arm and dragged her sister along behind the teacher, who quickly pulled them both into a classroom before locking the door behind him.

"Are you two okay?" He asked, checking the sisters over.

"Yes," Mary nodded quickly, pocketing her phone, "We're okay. I called my mom. She's on her way."

The teacher nodded, "Good, good. My name is Mr. Cecil, by the way."

"That's Elizabeth," Mary pointed to her sister, "I'm Mary."

"I've never seen you on campus before," Elizabeth crossed her arms, leaning against Mary, "What do you teach?"

"I'm a student teacher," Mr. Cecil admitted, "I've been helping out in the Advanced Political Science class." He pulled his school ID from the pocket of his jacket. He walked over to the classroom phone, "I'll call the office and let them know what's going on. Mary, were those your friends putting a human wall between you and Mr. Boleyn?"

"Yes," She nodded, checking her phone for a text from her mother, "They were."

"Those are loyal friends," Mr. Cecil dialed the number of the office.

Elizabeth glanced over Mary's shoulder at her sister's phone, "Anything?"

_"Nein,"_ Mary shook her head. "Hopefully soon."

"What was he doing here?" Elizabeth signed, "I thought he disowned my mom."

Mary shrugged and signed back, "I don't know, Liz."

"Yes, thank you," Mr. Cecil hung up the phone and leaned against the counter, "The Vice Principal is coming. Any word from your parents?"

Mary was about to say "No", but her phone lit up with a text from Catherine. "She's here."

Mr. Cecil nodded and glanced out the window, "Alright, Mr. Boleyn is still there. Oh! Here comes Ms. Collins. Okay, girls, we don't usually do this, but," He opened the back door of the classroom, "This goes to the wing over. You can sneak out. I'll inform the other teachers."

"Thank you, Mr. Cecil," Mary picked up her backpack, "Ready, Liz?"

_"Ja."_

Catherine was waiting in the car when Mary and Elizabeth ran up.

"What happened?" She asked, immediately turning on the engine and pulling out of the school's parking lot.

"Anne's father showed up when school got out," Mary explained breathlessly.

"He wanted to take me somewhere," Elizabeth gripped the panic bar beside her seat.

Catherine pulled over and climbed over the center console to sit beside Elizabeth in the backseat, "Liz, just breathe, okay?" She rubbed circles on the twelve-year-old's back, "You're safe." She looked back to Mary, _"¿Puedes llevarnos a casa, mija?"_

Immediately, Mary climbed over into the driver's seat and carefully merged back into traffic.

"What if he takes me away, Lina?" Elizabeth's hand tightened around the panic bar, "What if-"

"Shh...shh," Catherine moved closer to the youngest Boleyn, "No one is going to take you away, okay? You are your mom's, no one is going to change that. Not even Thomas Boleyn."

Elizabeth leaned into Catherine's embrace and didn't move until Mary turned over the engine.

_"Maman!"_ Elizabeth jumped out of the car and raced up the front path to the house.

Anne had just come down the stairs when her daughter barrelled into her.

"Lizzie? _Lizzie, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? Quelque chose est arrivé?"_

"Your father," Catherine explained quietly, setting Elizabeth's backpack down on the floor beside Mary's.

"What did he do?" Anne tightened her grip on her daughter's shoulders. "Liz, did he hurt you?"

"He showed up," Mary answered, "He said that you sent him to pick her up."

Anger sparked in Anne's eyes, "I am so sorry, Lizzie," She whispered quietly.

"I recognized him," Elizabeth mumbled into Anne's neck, "From Cathy and Mae's trial."

Anne started to speak again, but she was cut off by someone pounding on the door.

"Anne!" Someone yelled from outside, "Anne Boleyn, open the door!"

The Boleyn woman's back went rigid, "Hey, Liz," She kissed the crown of her daughter's head, "Can Mary take you upstairs?"

Elizabeth pulled back and followed her sister upstairs.

"Who's at the door, _Duendecillo?"_ asked Catherine.

Anne rolled her shoulders, "My father."

"Anne-"

Catherine was cut off by Anne opening the front door to reveal her father standing on the front porch, face red with anger.

"Finally!" Thomas Boleyn crossed his arms, "Very bold of you to keep me waiting."

"What do you want?" Anne's voice was hard.

"I want to meet the child you've been hiding from me and your mother," Boleyn glared.

"Are you kidding me?" laughed Anne, "The child I've been hiding from you is the same one you kicked me out for having."

Boleyn looked taken aback, "Me? No, Anne. You've got it wrong. I would never kick out my own daughter."

Anne's grip tightened on the doorknob. She was used to her father's lies and could see through them, but he was very good at it.

"Stay away from me and stay away from my daughter," Anne started to close the door, but Boleyn stopped it with his hand.

"I want to meet my granddaughter."

"I don't give a damn what you want," Anne shoved his hand away.

"I am your father, Anne!"

The Boleyn woman shook her head, "No. You stopped being my father when you kicked me out."

"I-"

Anne slammed the door shut and immediately locked it. Catherine pulled the younger woman into an embrace, which Anne quickly relaxed into.

"He's gone, _il est parti,"_ Catherine whispered quietly, "You're safe."

Anne pulled back and wiped the tears on her cheeks clear, "I need to do something, Catherine. Can you help me?"

"Of course, _mija._ Whatever you need."

"I need to file a restraining order against him. One that protects everyone in the house, not just me and Liz, because if he can get any of you, he will be able to hurt me. I don't want him to hurt me anymore."

Catherine nodded, "I think that is a great idea, Anne. How about we wait for someone else to get home, and then we can go to the police station."

Anne nodded slowly, "Thank you, Catherine."

"You're my family, Anne," the Spaniard pulled Anne back into her arms, "And I protect my family."

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave feedback and/or requests or prompts for other chapters that you want to see!


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